Overview

Overview

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Summary of the work

• Undertake a GDS compliant Discovery to identify the best/most effective way to deliver core planning tools.• Write up recommendations in a Discovery report, clearly outlining requirements and options for delivery of Alpha phase.• Present findings, recommendations and options to DfT team and Digital Design Authority.

About the work

Government’s Cycling & Walking Investment Strategy sets out ambitions to double levels of cycling in England by 2025; identifying £1.2bn potential investment at national and local levels.

Research shows that building high quality infrastructure can increase levels of cycling, but there is little evidence to robustly advise where this should be built at a local level.

DfT recognises the instrumental role of cycling infrastructure planning tools for local authorities, showing where the highest cycling potential is and what infrastructure is necessary to realise this potential. Planning tools empower local authorities to take a strategic, spatial, evidence-based approach to prioritising investment.

Problem to be solved

There are many planning tools available to Transport Planners and DfT wants to help rationalise this approach.

The Discovery will explore:

• User needs in developing and prioritising cycling infrastructure plans;• What most effective user journey and service might look like for someone using planning tools; • How key current planning tools [such as PCT, CyIPT and others] are meeting user needs and establish user needs that aren’t being met; • How existing planning tools could be adapted/further developed to better meet users needs;• How to develop a new service if the discovery finds there is a need.

Who the users are and what they need to do

Local authority officers: require an evidence-base to enable informed strategic planning in developing cycle networks and address wider policy questions such as air quality, travel to school and cycle-rail integration

Consultants and transport planners: use as an evidence-based, strategic cycle planning resource, saving consultancy time and money

Academics: use to test various research and/or policy questions against hypotheses and inform wider academic thinking

Other interested parties: use for evidence to support / challenge cycling investment decisions.

Early market engagement

Some market engagement has already taken place.

Propensity to Cycle (PCT) - Phase 1 saw the development of a prototype, which provided proof of concept. The approach taken was informed by extensive policy and technical research, user research and user testing through workshops, conferences and development events such as ‘hackathons’ during engagement with local authority officers and other likely users. In Phase 2 the tool was scaled nationally. The market was again engaged with workshops, one-to-one sessions that led to case study development, as well as presentations and discussions at conferences around the world. At present, the tool has 250-500 user sessions per week on average.

Cycling Infrastructure Prioritisation Toolkit (CyIPT) - as part of the 12 month ICF project, engagement with local authorities and transport planners took place during development of the toolkit and an end of project workshop was held with key stakeholders working in the area of planning for active transport, providing them with an opportunity to test the tool and give formal feedback which forms a basis of next steps for developing the tool further.

Any work that’s already been done

The PCT has gone through prototype development, providing proof of concept and led to national roll-out in Phase 2. This was informed by extensive user engagement, research and policy/technical expertise. The PCT is live at www.pct.bike, featuring current cycling demand, a number of different growth scenarios & works at a range of scales.

CyIPT has gone through prototype development only. It offers an interactive national map for cycling infrastructure prioritisation. Building on the work of the PCT, the CyIPT focuses on what cycle infrastructure to build and when, and is underpinned by nine layers of data.

There may also be opportunity to knowledge share with a range of personnel responsible for developing PCT phases 1 and 2 and the CyIPT prototype.

Current phase

Discovery

Work setup

Work setup

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Address where the work will take place

Department for Transport, Great Minster House, 33 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 4DR, the suppliers own offices and workshops / meetings with local authorities around the country.

Working arrangements

The team will need to work 5 days a week for the duration of the project. Exact milestones will be determined once a Supplier is appointed.Expenses will be paid in line with DFT policy.

Also, CV's of team members will be requested at written proposal stage

Security clearance

BPSS – Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Evidence of which will be requested as part of the written proposals @ stage 2 (not part of the word count)

Additional information

Additional information

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Additional terms and conditions

Following Discovery, there will be a separate procurement exercise to progress the chosen Discovery options, looking to implement new system/s through Alpha and into Beta (subject to successful delivery of Alpha). There is potential that the successful Discovery supplier will remain on-board for a period to handover outputs for the Alpha phase.

Skills and experience

Buyers will use the essential and nice-to-have skills and experience to help them evaluate suppliers’ technical competence.

Demonstrate understanding and ability to deliver digital services/products to the Government Digital Service standards.

How suppliers will be evaluated

How suppliers will be evaluated

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How many suppliers to evaluate

5

Proposal criteria

Identify the approach and methodology to the Discovery project planning and delivery, identifying the main stages and activities proposed at each stage. (20%)

Explain how the approach or solution meets user needs (15%)

Detailed resource plan, including team structure – demonstrating how in-house, supplier and external resource will be used and at what stage (10%)

Identified risks, dependencies and offer approaches to manage them (10%)

Estimated timeframes for the work (5%)

Demonstrate value for money (5%)

Cultural fit criteria

Evidence demonstrating an ability to transfer knowledge and skills to non-technical team members and audiences (3%)

Experience of working collaboratively with Government departments, their Incumbent Suppliers and any other future suppliers (3%)

Evidence of strategic thinking and striving to deliver best possible solution/concept possible (3%)

Experience of taking responsibility for their work and resolving problems effectively (3%)

Experience of transparent and collaborative decision making (3%)

Payment approach

Capped time and materials

Assessment methods

Written proposal

Case study

Presentation

Evaluation weighting

Technical competence

65%

Cultural fit

15%

Price

20%

Questions asked by suppliers

Questions asked by suppliers

Supplier question

Buyer answer

1.
Hows much time (if any) is the supplier expected to work on site with the client, compared to working remotely from the supplier's own offices or off-site conducting workshops and other research activities?

The exact number of days in which the supplier will be required to work from DfT offices is to be agreed during the project inception meeting. We would expect the supplier to be flexible with the amount of time spent at DfT to conduct necessary work for the Discovery, as and when required i.e to meet with key internal stakeholders in addition to relevant key meetings held at DfT.

2.
The essential criteria ask for "Demonstrable expertise in transport planning, cycling strategy and/or cycling demand analysis." Isn't this restrictive? There is a small number of suppliers who have this domain knowledge and a far larger number of suppliers who have the technical ability to offer a solution but no specific domain knowledge.

The Department have considered this and it has been agreed that the criteria, "Demonstrable expertise in transport planning, cycling strategy and/or cycling demand analysis" has now been re-categorised as a 'Nice to Have' skill for the purposes of this requirement/evaluation

3.
As this Discovery involves as assessment of the PCT and CyIPT services, and identification of opportunities to adapt/further develop these tools, can it be assumed that the team members involved in their delivery will be stakeholders for this Discovery rather than potential suppliers?

‘The Department for Transport are following the General Public Contracts Regulations in association with the specific Digital Outcomes framework guidance and as such I can confirm that this opportunity is open to all registered DOS framework suppliers, with the process being managed with robust governance in an open and transparent manner’.

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